Automatic conversation-counter for telephone-exchange systems.



N0. -717,755. z PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903.

"J; H. MEYER.

AUTOMATIC CONVERSATION COUNTER FOR TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEMS.APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1901, H0 MODEL.- a sums-sum 1.

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J: H. MEYER. AUTOMATIG CONVERSATION 00171771211 FOR TELEPHONE EXCHANGESYSTEMS.-

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 28,1901.

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J. H.- MEYER. AUTOMATIC GONVERSATION 0011mm FOR TELEPHONE EXGHANGESYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1901.

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J. H. MEYER. I AUTOMATIC CONVERSATION COUNTER FOR TELEPHONE EXCHANGESYSTEMS.

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No. 717,755. x PATENT-ED JAN. 6, 1903.

J. H. MEYER.

AUTOMATIC GONVERSATION COUNTER FOR TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEMS.

APBLIOATIOHFILED. MAR. 28, 1901. N0 MODEL. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

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' 'No.. 717,75'5. PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903.

J. H. MEYER. AUTOMATIC CONVERSATION COUNTER FOR TELEPHONE EXCHANGESYSTEMS.

APBLIGA-TIOH FILED MAR. 28, 1901.

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I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IANN HEINRICH MEYER, OF MAGDEBURG, GERMANY.

AUTOMATIC CONV'ERSATlON-CQUNTER FOR TELEPHONE-EXCHANGE SYSTEMS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart 01? Letters Patent No. 717,755, dated January6, 1903. Application filed March 28, 1901. Serial No. 53,829. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may cnccrm- Be it known that I, JoHANN Hnmnrcn MEYER, asubject of the King of Prussia, German Emperor, residing at No. 1Gneisenaus'trasse, Magdeburg, Germ any, havein vented Improvements inAutomatic Conversation- Counters for Telephone-Exchange Systems, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic con ve rsation-counter fortelephone-exchange systems which is installed at the subscribers stationand only comes into operation when the particular subscriber has calledup the exchange-office and the desired connection has been made thereby.The counter is not, however, actuated if the desired connection is notmade or if the particular subscriber-is called up from another station.The operation of the conversation-counter is effected by operating underknown form of currentgenerating means, as by turning the crankof themagneto-machine or other inductor or I when calling up by means of abattery by crank or driving spindle pressing the button in calling thedesired subscriber, for whichpurpose a form of switch must be usedconsisting in the case magneto of a contact-disk that is alwaysconnected to the line conductor mounted on the of the magneto-ma;chine,which spindle is movable longitudinally in the known manner, andin the second case a contact-bar is mounted on the press-button, whichbarin its position of rest is connected to the bell or other signalingdevice, while on movement of the crank or driving shaft or on depressionof the button the disk or bar first comes into connection for a momentwith the electroinagnet of the counter and then with the magnetomachine. In order that the counting mechanism shall only be operatedwhen the desired connectionis actually made, there is arrangedat theexchange-office a special switch with relay which is preferably combinedwith the switch for the attendants telephones and serves after .ma kingthe connection between the two subscribers to send a battery-current tothe calling subscriber, this battery-current actuating the countingmechanism at that subscribers station as soon as on turning thecrank-spindle of the magneto-machine or on pressing the button thecontact-disk or the contact-bar is connected of the to the electromagnetof the counter in the manner above described. This current is againinterrupted after completion on the counting, for which purpose thearmature of the electromagnet of the counter opens an interruptingcontact, whereby the relay controlling the couuting-current isdeenergized, so that the ordinary connection is again made at theexchange office. A conversationcounter of this kind is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Fig.2 a side elevation, thereof. Fig. 3 shows the switch and the relay atthe exchange-chine in side elevation. Fig. 4 is an underside View of theswitch, and Fig. 5 a plan thereof. Fig. 6 shows the connections of theconversationcounter and magneto-call. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig.6, but showing a push-button and battery instead of a magneto. Fig. 7

shows the arrangement for electrically actuat ing the relay at theexchange-061cc. Fig. 8 shows a detail of the arrangement for calling upby means of a battery.

On the crankspindle A, Fig. l, of the mag neto machine or other inductor(which is provided in the known manner with a pin 25, that lies in arecess having inclined side surfaces in the hub n of the drivingwheel w)and insulated therefrom is secured thecontact-disk L, with which thecontact-spring f, connected to the line conductor, is always inengagement. A spring "5 continually acts to move the crank-spindletoward the left, so that the contact-disk L in the position of rest ofthe crank-spindle is in engagement with the contact-spring .W, which isconnected, through the hook-switch V, with the bell V, Fig. 6, or othersignaling device. On rotating the crank the pin t first slides along oneof the inclined surfaces of the recess until it reaches the outer endthereof, whereupon in the further rotation of the spindle of the magnetothe gear-wheel w is driven thereby. Thus on commencing to rotate thecrank a displacement of the crank-spindle in the direction of the arrowin Fig. 1 is produced by the pin t acting in opposition to the spring4,. The contact-disk L in this displacement first comes into engagementwith a contact-piece Z,

the electromagnet 0-, Fig. 6, of the counter,

mounted on 'a spring Z and connected to' then leaves the spring W,slides over the contact-piece Z,and engages at the next moment with thespring J as it leaves Z, so that at the completion of the right-handedmovement the inductor is switched into circuit. The above operations arerepeated in the reverse order on releasing the crank. The springs W andJ must be adjusted in such a manner that in the passage of the disk Lfrom one spring to the other there can be no interruption of thecircuit. As soon as the contactdisk L comes into engagement with thecontactpiece Z of the counting mechanism the electromagnet O of thecounter is energized, when the battery is thrown in circuit from thecentral station. On the armature 0 of the electromagnet, which acts onthe ratchet-wheel w of the counting mechanism by means of the feed-pawlZ, is mounted an adjusting-screw as, which in the lowermost position ofthe armature brings a contactspring u, connected in the line-circuit,out of engagement with the fixed contact 70. Thus after theelectromagnet of the counter has been energized as soon as the armature0 is attracted and the ratchet-Wheel w of the counting mechanism therebymoved on one unit the circuit is broken by the action of theadjusting-screw 00 on the contact-spring u. The armature 0 of theelectromagnet of the counter, which has thus been denergized, is thenreturned to its original position by the spring 2, whereupon thefeed-pawl l engages behind the next tooth of the ratchet-wheelw'.

If a subscriber after having taken his telephone from the hook isturning the magnetocrank for calling the operator in thetelephone-exchange, the current produced by the magneto armature willtake the following path: from the spring J, connected to the one end ofthe armature, over the disk L, the contact-springs)" and u, the contactand the line a to the electromagnet of the linedrop D, and from the sameover the line b and the contact-spring J to the second end of thearmature. The called-line drop will thereby be operated. The operatornow inserts the calling-plug B into the calling-jack E, whereby thecallingline drop is cut out and instead of the same the calling systemis put into the circuit by moving the reversing handlever h of theswitch, Fig. 3, to the right.

The switch arranged at the exchange-office for switching in thecounter-battery after making the connection is combined,in the exampleshown, with the known Stocks lever-switch for connecting anddisconnecting the attend ants telephones. The handlever h of thisswitch, Fig. 3, extends through a slot in a bar p, movable with frictionbeneath a plate 11, a roller 1' being mounted on the bar 1) by means ofa spring-arm q. The slot in the harp is of such dimensions that on thereversal of the hand-lever h the said bar is only carried along by thelever when the latter has completed twothirds of its movement. Theroller 7 acts on the armature s of a relay M, connected in the circuitof the counter-battery d. On this armature is mounted an arm g, whichnormally rests on the contact 1. On energizing the relay, however, itrests on the contact 2, connected to the positive pole of thecounter-battery, and is provided with an insulating-piece 1, which onenergizing the relay presses a contact-spring 0 against the contact 3,connected through the contact-springs 9 and 8 to the negative pole ofthe counter-battery. The contact-springs 8 and 9 are new and are addedto the known lever-switch. The arm g on the armature of the relay M isconnected through the conductor 14: to the plug-terminal a, of thecalling subscriber, while the contact 1 is connected through theconductor 15, the contact-springs 5 and 4, and the conductor 16 with.the plug-terminal a of the desired subscriber during a conversation. Bymeans of this arrangement it is rendered possible that thecounter-battery cl shall only come into action on cutting the attendantstelephones out of circuit again. If on switching into circuit theattendants telephones the hand-lever h is moved to the right out of theposition shown in Figs. 3 and 6,the two contactsprings 8 and 9 arebrought out of contact with each other and the circuit of thecounter-battery is thus broken, so that if on bringing the roller 1'onto the armature-s the arm 9 thereof engages with the contact 2 nocurrent can flow from the battery to the calling subscriber. It thehand-lever his moved to the right position, Figs. 3 and 6, each of thefour contactsprings 4, 5, 6, and 7 is brought into contact with theirrespective contact-springs arranged under same, whereby, however, thefollowing springs are put out of contact: 4 from 5, 6 from 7, and 8 from9. Now the operator in the exchange and the calling subscriber areallowed to speak with each other. The operator calls byspeakinginto themicrophone M The currents produced thereby in the induction-coil J R inthe known manner are taking the following path: conductor 25, switchBm,conductor23,contact 5, conductor 15, contact 1, arm g, conductor 14,terminal a, calling-plug B, line a, contact is, springs to and f, diskL, spring W, hook V, spring y, induction-coil J R, indicator G,telephone F of the calling subscriber, and back over I) b 20 '7 21 26 tothe induction-coil JR and the receiver F of the operator. The callingsubscriber now gives his order by speaking into his microphone M. Afterhaving received the order the operator cuts in the line to the calledsubscriber by inserting the plug F into the called subscribers plug H.If, on the other hand, in cutting out of circuit the attendantstelephones the hand-lever h be again moved to the left, thecontact-springs 8 and 9 will be first brought into contact with eachother again, whereupon toward the end of the movement of the hand-leverthe armature s is again depressed by the roller 1'. By this means thearmature-arm g is brought into ongagement with the contact 2 and thecircuit of the counter-battery d closed, so that a current will passfrom this battery through the conductor 17, terminal K, conductor 11,relay M, conductor 10, contact 2, armature-arm g, conductor 1 t, and theplug B over the conductor a to the apparatus of the calling subscriber,this current passing via the contact is, the contact-spring u, thecontact-spring f,

the contact-disk L, the contact-spring W, and the hook-switch V, fromwhich the telephonereceiver is removed, and the contact-spring g to theindicator G, returning to the negativeterminal Z of the counter-batterythrough the telephone-receiver, the conductor b, the plug B, theplug-terminal b, the conductor 18, the contact-spring c, the contact 3,the conductor 13, the contact-springs 9 S, and the conductor 1 2. Therelay M is consequently energized and holds the armature sin itsattracted position even when the roller 7' has already left it. By theexcitation of the indicator G, which takes place simultaneously so longas L touches the spring W, a tablet therein with the inscription Pleasecall will be visible as a summons to the calling subscriber to set hismagneto-machine or other inductor in operation.

The indicator serves to facilitate the work of the official at theexchange-office. The counting also takes place without employing thisoflicial. When the armature of the relay is attracted, the circuit ofthe counter-battery is closed, while the branch of thecondnctor aleading to the desired subscriber, is interru pted between the contact 1and the armaturearm g. The calling subscriber can therefore only comeinto connection with the required subscriber when the circuit of thecounter-bah tery isinterru pted at any place, and consequently thearmature of the relay falls down. This takes place,asabovementioned,when the calling subscriber by operating the crank oftheinductor brings the contact-disk L intoengagement with the contact Z,so that the elec-- tromagnet of the counierattracts its armature, inwhich operation the adjusting screw as brings the contact-spring u outof engagement with the contact 70. At the exchangeoflice when thecurrent through the counter is interrupted the relay M releases itsarmature, so that the armature-arm g rests against the contact 1 againand the contact-spring c is brought out of engagement with the contactOn interrupting the circuit of the battery d the line conductor a of thecalling subscriber is therefore brought into connection through the plugB, the terminal of, the conductor 14, the armature-arm g, the contact 1,the conductor 15, the contact-springs 54, the conductor 16, and theplug-terminal a with the line conductor a of the desired sub scriber,while the line conductor 19 thereof is connected through theplug-terminal b the conductor 19, the contact-springs 6 7, the conductor20, and the plug-terminal b with the line conductor 1) of the callingsubscriber. The two double line conductors are thus directly connectedtogether, the indicator N.

sufficient room for notifying to the attendant the close of theconversation being connected as a bridge between the lines.' Thealternate currents generated by the inductor of the calling subscriberthus pass to the station of the desired subscriber and actuate the hellor other signaling device thereof. It the operator intends to help thecalling subscriber in calling the called subscriber, he moves thehand-lever h to the right and presses the battery-switch Big down,whereby the operators calling ap paratus is cut out and the battery (1is connected to the conductors 22 and 24. The

current will now flow from the conductor K' over Big, 24, 6, 19, b and bto the called subscriber and from there over 0, a 16, 4:, 22, Sir,battery-drop B K to the pole Z of the battery. If the operator will calland remember the calling subscriber, he presses upon the switch Bria,whereby the battery 61 is connected to the a' current will flow from Kover 21, 7, 20, b b to the signaling apparatus W of the callingsubscriber, (the telephone of which is upon the hook,) and from thereover V,VV, L, f, u, it, a, a, 14, s, g, 1, 15, 5, 23,'Bia, BK back tothe negative battery-pole Z If there is not beneath theswitch-tables forarranging the relays M, they can be arranged separately from theswitch-tables, as shown in Fig. 7, in which case they are actuatedelectrically instead of mechanically.

On the plate 19 of the lever-switch h is mounted the insulated arm g,which can act on the spring-contact 3", connected to the conductor 51.To the lever 71 is, moreover, secured the movable contact 0", which isinsulated therefrom and is electrically connected to the conductor 50.If the lever h is moved to the right, the contact r is first drawn awayfrom beneath the spring-contact 3'. When conductors 21 and 23, and

the lever strikes against the right-hand end I of the slot in the plate19, the said plate, and with it the arm q", will be moved to the right.By this means the. arm g depresses the contact s, which, however, doesnot come into engagement with the contact r, since the latter would bepreviously drawn away beneath the contact 8, The circuit of thecounterbattery will not, therefore, be closed. On the other hand, assoon as the lever h is returned to the left hand into its originalposition the contact 7'' is first moved beneath the contact 3, and thenwhen the lever has reached the lefthand end of the slot in the plate 1)the arm q will also be moved to the left, whereby it presses the contact5 against the contact r. By this means the counter-battery isshortcuited through the relay M The armature g is consequentlyattracted. As soon as it touches the contact 52 and the end of the arm(1. has released the contact 8', so that the latter rises from thecontact 7", the circuit of the counter-battery is closed through theconductor leading to the calling subscriber. If the conversation hasbeen counted at the callin g-su bscribers station,the battery comes outof action, the circuit is interrupted, and the armature g of the relay Magain rests against the contact 53. The calling subscriber is thusobliged to set his counter in operation, since he cannot call up thedesired subscriber in any other way. If the exchange-office does notfind the line of the desired subscriber free, although thecounter-battery is brought into circuit on cutting out of circuit theattendants telephones by moving back the hand-lever h, yet it isimmediately disconnected again by withdrawing the plug B from the jackE, so that the relay M is deenergized and the counter-battery cannotcome into action when the subscriber in question again calls up theexchange-ofiice. The counting of the conversation takes place aftersending the counting-current, as a rule, when the inductor is set inaction by the calling subscriber. If this has been commenced, contraryto the regulation, by turning the crank before the summons to ring uphas been given by the exchange-office by means of the indicator, thecounting takes place as soon as the crank is again released and thecontact-disk L slides away over the contact Z. YVith such improperworking of the inductor there is no calling up of the desiredsubscriber, since the connection with such subscriber is only made whenthe counter of the calling subscriber has recorded the connection. Thecalling subscriber m ust therefore again set the inductor in action,without, however, thereby actuating the counter again.

The counter-battery is to be of such size that its current is of aboutten volts higher pressure than the alternate currents generated by theinductor in calling up, in order that the counting-current shall not berendered inefiective thereby. Acounter-battery of from fifty to sixtyvolts is generally sufficient. The switch arranged at the exchangeofficefor connecting into circuit the counterbattery can obviously'be alsoconnected to a suitable switch other than the lever-switch shown in thedrawings.

When the call is not to be made by means of an inductor, but by abattery, the arrangement shown in Figs. 6 and 8 is employed. Thepress-button 36 here acts on a contactbar 30, which is attached, bymeans of a flat spring 43, to the block 45, connected to the line bymeans of the conductor 46. On both sides of the contact-bar 30 aresecured contact-springs 32 33, the distance apart of which from thebaris determined by the heads of the screws 34 35, which extend throughsuitable holes in the springs. normally rests on the contact 31, whichis connected, through the conductor 47,with the bell orothersignalingdevice orwith the telephonereceiver. On the other side ofthe bar 30 is arranged the contact 42, which is connected, through theblock 43 and the conductor 44, to the signaling-battery W Beneath thebar 30 is mounted a contact 37, which is secured by the spring 49 to theblock 38. The latter is con- The contact-spring 32 nected, through theconductor 39, to the electromagnet of the counter. Near the contact 37,butinsulated therefrom,is mounted a contact 40, which isconnected,through the conductor 41, with the return line conductor. Inthe position of rest the contact-bar 30 makes a connection between theline conductor and the hell or other signaling device or thetelephone-receiver. If the press-button 36 is depressed to call, thefree end of the contactbar 30 first slides over the contact 37,connected to the electromagnet of the counter through the conductor 39,then over the intermediate contact 40, connected to the return lineconductor, and finally rests against the contact 42, connected to thebattery of the bell or other signaling device through the conductor 44.On releasing the press-button the contact bar 30 comes into engagementwith the contacts in the reverse order. The contact-springs 32 33,mounted on the contact-bar 30, are so adjusted that on the transfer ofthe contact-bar 30 from one contact to the other there can be nointerruption of the circuit. The intermediate contact 40 preventssimultaneous engagement of the contact-bar 30 with the contact 37 andthe contact 42, and thus also prevents the passage of a current from thebattery W for the hell or other signaling device to the electromagnet ofthe counter. The rest of the apparatus and the method of operationremain unaltered.

I claim as my invention 1. Telephonic-conversation-counting mechanismcomprising a calling-station, a central station and a called station,acurreut-gener- 'ating means, a switch, a counter and acurrent-interrupter adapted to be operated on the movement of thecounter, all at the calling-station, a battery, a relay, switchesoperated thereby and a hand-switch at the central station, a lineconnecting the calling and central stations and one between the calledand central stations, whereby on operating the hand-switch the relay isenergized and the battery connected to the line, and callingstation,whereupon on operating the switch at the calling-station, the counter isoperated and the circuit broken and at the central station the relayreleased, the battery cut out and connection automatically made betweenthe calling and called stations.

2. Telephonic-conversation-counting mechanism comprising acalling-station, a central station and a called station, acurrent-interrupter and a counter at the calling-station, a battery, arelay and switches therefor, and a hand-switch at the central station, aline between the calling-station and central station and one between thecalled station and the central station, said hand-switch upon itsmovement adapted to make certain connections between the calling-lineand the relayswitch points and to operate the relay-switch to completesuch connections wherebya current will be sent from the battery throughthe relay, line and calling-switch, upon the moveswitch having a contactvia-r ment of which switch the said current-interrupter is adaptedthrough the counter to break such circuit and thereby automatically outout the relay and battery and connect the called and calling subscriber,substantially as described. e

3. Telephonic-conversation-counting inech anism, comprising a centralstation having a relay, switches therefor, a battery and a handswitch incombination with a calling-station, having a cnrrent-interrupter, acounter, a current-generating means and a switch for directing thecurrent therefrom whereby on the first operation of the switch to callcentral,the generated currentwill be sent through the line and means,upon the release of the switch, whereby a current may be sent from thecentral station, said switch being adapted when next operated to switchsuch centralstation current through the counter to operate it, saidcounter when operated being adapted in turn to operate thecurrent-interrupter, as and for thepurpose described.

4. A teleph'onic-conversation counter comprising a calling-station,acurrent-generatin g means therein, a switch therefor, means to operatethem together, a counter and a circuitinterrupter, a line to the centralstation, said N, a contact y connected through the interrupter to theline, a movable contact L, and a contact J, connected to one pole of thegenerating means, the other pole connected to the line, a contact Zconnected to the magnet of the counter and a connection from the contactW to the line, whereby on the first movement of the contact L a nu rrentgenerated is sent through the line,and afterward when current isentering the calling-station from the central station, the contact L isadapted, when moved, to send such incoming current through the contact Zand counter and operatesuch counter and interrupter and then is adaptedto send its generated current through J, f over the line, substantiallyas described.

5. A telephonic-conversation-countin g mechanism, comprising a receiver,and an indicater, a connection from the indicator to the line, aswitch-contact W and a connection from the receiver to such contact, acurrentgenerating means, a movable switch-contact L, means tooperatethem, a contact f, an interrupter, a connection through suchcontact and interrupter to the line, a contact J con nected to oneterminal of the generating means, the other terminal being connected tothe line, a contact Z, a counter, a connection from the counter to thecontact Z and another connection from the counter to the line, butto'the opposite line-terminal from the connection from the interrupter,substantially as described.

6. Telephonic-conversation-counting mechanism, com prising a centralstation, a called station and a calling-station, a counter, acircuit-interrupter adapted to be operated by the co unter,current-generati'ngcmeans, a shaft movable lengthwise, means to operatesaid shaft to so move it, a spring to returnitlengthwise upon therelease of said means, a contact carried by the shaft, contacts W and fadapted to bear on the disk throughout its movement, a line connectionfrom one pole of the current-generating means, a contact J from theother, a contact Z adapted to be contacted by the disk L before suchdisk strikes the contact J on its lengthwise movement, the contact fconnected through the circuit-interrupter with the line, and contact Zconnected to the counter-magnet,'whereby when no current is incoming onthe line and the shaft operated current will flow from thecurrentgenerating means through J andfand whenreleased circuit will beestablished from line through f, L, Vt, and whereby on bringing currentin from the line and operating the shaft, line-circuit will beestablished between f, L, Z and counter, whereupon saidcounter will beoperated and cause the interrupter to open the circuit, as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHANN nnmnrou MEYER.

